They follow a predictable pattern.

Thanks for the info Susan... the pattern that I discovered in this area... from other real estate investor in the area is that it makes sense... but you must know by how much to increase rent though... and that's tough to understand from the rent control town codes that I am browsing around right now... 

Make sure you have figures for the most recent tax year or get your feelings hurt (and your math wrong).So...how sustainable is this new property-value "pattern"?

If you want to wholesale or do fix and flip, you need to buy them at wholesale prices and since our market is so competitive here in South Florida, you have to do direct marketing or have an agent literally study the MLS 24/7 and monitor properties that have significant price drops and study patterns.

It would appear as though the pattern was rehabbing and that was where the profit was made.

I have learned a lot and know I will need to reference some material again, but I began to notice a pattern. 

and compliments to your parents on your name ;-)Buy, rent, pay-down, upgrade, rinse, repeat ... you've got the basic pattern.

Additionally they will look at the drive thru pattern traffic flow versus parking in front of the store for any traffic flow pattern issues.   

There are so many DIY channels on Youtube, with their own off-channel websites with step by step guides. http://www.palatinremodeling.com/top-10-diy-channels-on-youtube/I agree that hiring things out is probably a better use of one's time as an investor than doing it yourself, but I'm of the same mind as you to try to do some of this stuff at first because I'm going to do a more traditional buy and hold pattern where I won't be able to acquire properties very rapidly, so it's not like I'd be missing out on deals by undertaking certain repairs/improvements myself.

You can find net migration patterns from government sources such as Census.gov.